By Gabrielle. Images by Sarah of Modern Kids. They were born 16 months apart, but for most of their lives, strangers have assumed Oscar and Betty are twins. Oscar is a 7 and he’s a little guy. He hits the 5th percentile on the height charts. Betty is 6, but she’s average size — around 50th percentile for height. As you might be able to guess based on those numbers, Betty is now taller than Oscar! Oscar hasn’t seemed to be too bothered by this fact. He understands that he’s still older, even though she’s taller. (That idea sunk in for him when I showed him pictures of my brothers and he could see that the tallest one is actually the youngest.) But this morning, I noticed the pair of pants he pulled on for school were getting to the flood stage and I said,”Wow, Oscar, you’re really growing! It’s time for new pants.” And he said, “Yep! I think I’m probably taller than Betty now.” Clearly it’s on his mind. (And no, he’s not taller than Betty now.) Luckily, he seems to have a solid sense of confidence, so hopefully it won’t phase him too much. Have you ever had a little sister pass up a big brother in size? Did it stress either of them out? Any wise words for Oscar? Would love your thoughts! P.S. — Oscar weightlifting. Oscar’s horses. Also, remember the book Amy featured: Big Little Brother?

By Amy Hackworth. In honor of Gabrielle’s quick trip, I thought it would be fun to do an NYC roundup. I’ve always loved New York City for its countless wonders: art, culture, design, shopping, people — even the traffic fascinates me. These picture books are a great place to share the magic of the city with the little ones in your life, whether you’re just beginning a love affair with New York or keeping your enchantment alive. 1) In Abuela, Rosalba imagines what it would be like if she and her grandmother could fly high above New York City. Featuring famous landmarks, a beautiful relationship between grandmother and granddaughter, some Spanish vocabulary and bright folk art style illustrations, this book is a treat. 2) Matteo Pericoli’s See the City: The Journey of Manhattan Unfurled is an inspiring exercise in really seeing what’s around you. Pericoli draws both the east and west sides of Manhattan with impressive accuracy and a simple, architectural sketch style. It’s one of the coolest books I’ve ever seen. Among my favorite things: his straightforward, inspiring narrative that explains his process and approach (“Drawing is learning. Try and you’ll find out.”), the form of the book that flips over to show east side and west side, and his interesting handwritten labels of landmarks and non-landmarks. A great choice for thoughtful artists. 3) Madlenka pays tribute to the diversity of New York City, and the comfort of community, as little Madlenka experiences the world’s cultures by walking around her block to share the news of her loose tooth. Engaging cut-outs and incredible illustrations, many with unique perspectives, make this a book you can savor. 4) For a more literal — and equally fun — version of city letters, look at ABC NYC: A Book About Seeing New York City full of fun, uniquely New York vocabulary and photographs. 5) When You Meet a Bear on Broadway is a sweet story about a little girl whose kindness and ingenuity help a lost bear find his mama. The soft watercolor illustrations are a perfect complement to the tone of the story, which earned a starred Booklist review. 6) The Man Who Walked Between the Towers, a Caldecott book, documents the incredible story of Philippe Petit, who walks on a tightrope between the two buildings. Even in picture book form, his dizzying feat makes my stomach drop, but the book captures Petit’s honest wonder and passion for tightrope walking in a beautifully told story. It gently acknowledges that the towers are gone now, but they live in our memory. Like the endless wonders of the city, this list could be a mile long. Please share your favorites in the comments!

Oh man! I’m so excited for you to see this video because we had such an amazing time filming it. We started by borrowing this insanely charming, perfectly restored VW Bus from friends in St. George, Utah. Growing up, my family always drove Volkswagen vans and as an adult, they’ve been my car of choice as well. (Here’s the VW Transporter we drive now.) So you can imagine I was feeling nostalgic that day! Want more behind the scenes? Here you go: Once we had the van, we scouted a location. We knew the gorgeous VW would look great against the local red rocks. So we drove around until we found a potential spot, then we’d knock on the door of the house and inquire about shooting a video in their backyard. Hah! We ended up shooting at Cottam Farm (fun fact: my family used to buy milk from the some of Cottam cousins). …

Olive Us: CarwashRead More »

By Gabrielle. Ben Blair sent me this video today and it had me in tears. It’s a perfect example of the topic that’s been on my mind: the impact of one. The video is part of the I’m a Mormon series, and frankly, I think it’s the very best one. Have you ever seen these videos? I haven’t seen all of them (there’s a lot!), but when I receive a link to an especially good one, I’m always glad to watch. The one Ben Blair sent today features a French woman named Cécile Pelous. She’s an incredibly successful fashion designer by trade. But felt there was more to life than her work. You’ve got to watch this. Fair warning: it will make you want to sell everything you own. “Come. All hands are needed.” I think it’s my new favorite quote. I want to put it on the wall of our family room. P.S. Did you know I’m a Mormon? Fun fact: Our family was asked to make an I’m a Mormon video twice, but both times we had schedule conflicts. Do you think it’s a sign? : ) After seeing Cécile’s, I’m quite sure we’re not interesting enough!

By Gabrielle. Yesterday, I mentioned a little story involving the f-word and my daughter Olive. When we first moved to France and the kids started school, they didn’t speak a word of French. Olive told me that on one of her first days of school, there was a classmate trying to show off his English. So he approached her and in a thick French accent, with a happy, welcoming grin on his face, said, “You speak English? F— you!” I know it’s hard to imagine, but his intention was completely friendly! And he stood there happy to make her acquaintance. 9-year-old Olive was shocked, but thankfully, mature enough to know he didn’t intend any offense and was able to laugh about it. Growing up, swearing was a BIG no-no at my house. Saying bad words, or talking back, meant getting my mouth washed out with a bar of soap! (And it wasn’t at all as charming as the photo at top.) I did some swearing in middle school when I was feeling feisty, but mostly, I haven’t been a swearer. Moving to New York changed my whole view of swearing. I would hear the f-word many, many times a day on the street, on the train, and in the office. In New York, it’s kind of like saying shoot, or crap. Unless you’re saying it in an angry voice, or accompanying it with hand gestures, it doesn’t always carry a lot of weight like it might in my hometown, or in Colorado, or other places I’ve lived. And I can tell you, that even though I wasn’t swearing myself, my ears eventually adjusted and it truly didn’t bother me when I would hear the commonly used bad words. Moving to France has made swear words even less toxic. I think because I was reminded that it’s such a cultural thing. In fact, I can hear a string of British swears or French swears and they don’t make me even slightly uncomfortable. Because they are absolutely meaningless to my ears! Tell me, friends. What are the swearing rules at your house? Did you swear before you had kids? Do you swear around them still? Did your parents ever wash your mouth out with soap? P.S. — Oddly, after not swearing for most of my adult life, I found myself letting curse words slip now and again over the last couple of years. Except the f-word. It still makes me blush!

By Gabrielle. To me, the only show better than House Hunters is House Hunters International! It’s just like moving to a faraway city and experiencing a fascinating culture, but without all the packing and unpacking and homesickness. So when Alexandra wrote to me and sweetly suggested a future post about Living With Kids…In An Apartment…In Jerusalem, I happily agreed. Enjoy the tour! Q: Tell us all about the family who lives here. A: I moved to Israel ten years ago from New Jersey. Five years after I arrived here, I met my superhero husband Binny who was born in Israel. He agreed to marry me after I relentlessly pursued him. We live in Jerusalem with our fearless and sweet daughter, Eden, who is 20 months old. She looks very angelic with her blonde hair and blue eyes, but is a ball of energy with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes and keeps us on our toes! I am pursusing a Masters in International Relations at Hebrew University, work part-time from home, and am a hands-on mom, so life can get pretty hectic at times. We love to hike, bike, travel and spend time together as a family. I love colors, pretty things, and snuggling up in bed with a good book. …

Living With Kids: Alexandra LauferRead More »

By Amy Christie. Gabrielle has mentioned that in France, her kids are required to carry pencil bags at school. So I thought it would be fun to create a DIY for a simple and easy zipper pouch in fun fabrics that could work for boys or girls. It would make a fun fall gift for your child. But then I made some, and I’ve been using them for all sorts of tasks! Who doesn’t love a little pouch to zip up things in? I’m going to tell you right now: Sewing is not my forté. Add zippers to the mix and I start sweating. But this little easy zipper pouch only requires five lines of stitching. Five! That’s it! And two of them are for looks so if you nix those, you are down to three. If I can do it, so can you.

Try this easy zipper pouch tutorial, and I’m betting you’ll be adding pouches to purses, suitcases, and yes, backpacks too!

Lets get started. …

The Perfect Gift: Easy Zipper Pouch TutorialRead More »

By Gabrielle. Christine‘s main goal when decorating her home was that it would feel like a breath of fresh air every time she walked through the door. She nailed it. She’s a mom after our own hearts, learning to enjoy those early stay-at-home days with a toddler and new little one with overlapping nap times, while also yearning to find time to work again, too. Plus maybe a little DIY! It’s always a strange balance, savoring the baby years yet wondering if you’ll ever find the old you again, isn’t it? For now, let’s just take a deep breath of fresh air in as we enjoy this lovely home tour. Q: Tell us all about the family who makes this house a home! A: I’m Christine, a writer, wife, and mom to two little boys living in Providence, Rhode Island. My husband, Vijay, and I met when he came to Chicago (where I was living at the time) to visit his best childhood friend who just happened to be my boss. Six months later, we were married! To say we had a whirlwind relationship would be an understatement…but when you know, you know! We recently celebrated our five-year anniversary, and we both feel that our biggest accomplishment, besides having a loving marriage, is being the proud parents of Vijay, almost two years old, and Vikram, just two months old. Q: How did this home become yours? A: We moved to Providence about four and a half years ago when my husband received a wonderful job opportunity with his Alma mater, Brown University. I had never been to Providence — the first time I visited was to find a rental apartment. It was a hard transition, leaving behind good friends and my beloved city of Chicago, but I quickly grew to love Providence; it is a quirky college town situated in the tiny, but beautiful, state of Rhode Island. After six months of renting, we began looking for a home. …

Living With Kids: Christine ChitnisRead More »

By Gabrielle. Inspiration often hits when we least expect it, and that’s always a welcome event. But what about more intentional motivation? Are there words or advice you’d like to keep close? I’m curious: If you could graffiti any quote or word across your living room wall — or maybe just have it hanging where you could see it daily as you needed it! — what would it say? Four new friends kindly agreed to scrawl their own ideas on the pages of Design Mom. Please enjoy their answers. Jennifer Cooper of Classic Play: I freely admit that I am a quote junkie. I collect them like people collect…well…whatever it is that people collect! If I could, I’d totally wallpaper my house in quotes. Those from Dorothy Parker always make me laugh, and I have a print of one of my favorites by Ralph Waldo Emerson at my desk: Be Honest, Be Silly, Be Kind. But I think this quote from Kurt Vonnegut deserves a special space on my wall: “I urge you to please notice when you are happy, and exclaim or murmur or think at some point, ‘If this isn’t nice, I don’t know what is.'” …

Design Mom Asks: Inspirational QuotesRead More »

By Amy Hackworth. Maybe your child’s school has been in session for several weeks or just a few days. Either way, I’m sure you’ll agree that school provides ample material for great stories. I hope you’ll enjoy six of my favorites! 1) My Kindergarten by Rosemary Wells takes a cute little animal class through the entire kindergarten year. This is a thoughtful, well-planned book to savor with your little one. It’s full of inspiring examples of great teaching, with story-based lessons on music, friendship, seasons, and science. It’s beautifully written, with an overall gentle tone that makes you appreciate the wonder of learning. If you like Rosemary Wells, try Yoko Learns to Read as well. 2) Italian immigrant Josephine practices a new language in class in Josephine Nobisso’s In English, Of Course. The book highlights the challenges of unfamiliar languages in a positive way, and also models great teaching and learning. Josephine is confident and brave, and tone of the book is upbeat. Plus it features a really cool style of illustration. …

6 Great Books About SchoolRead More »

By Gabrielle. I know. I know. S’mores are for camping. And summertime! But I crave them in the fall when I’m feeling cozy. (Am I the only one?) I was craving them yesterday, so we bought supplies to make a Euro version. Of course, they aren’t exactly the combination of flavors from my childhood. But they are super yummy. For any of you who are curious, here’s how we do away-from-home s’mores. …

Euro S’moresRead More »

By Gabrielle. The first time I saw photos of Tracey‘s home, I thought that there is no way this is a house that holds four boys and all of the dirt and noise they carry with them. It’s far too beautiful, far too white, and with such healthy doses of femininity! But then I read her story. And with every answer to my every question, I learned that this gorgeously decorated house has nothing on the beauty that’s happening inside this family’s hearts. There’s no way this house can’t hold those four boys and all of the dirt and noise and goodness they carry with them! Sheer loveliness and a pretty unbelievable story of how this family came to be, straight ahead. Please enjoy it! Q: Please tell us about the family who makes this house a home! A: Within these four walls resides a family of six. Two amazing, doting, giving, selfless, magnificent, parents (wink wink) and four adorable, energized boys. Josh, the hubs, is an amazing father and supportive husband. Our boys idolize him and I adore him. He built the chickens a dollhouse-styled coop, all because he knew I would love it. He’s a keeper. Shy, our oldest Thing, is eight. He came to us when he was just three, an absolutely adorable terror. Now, he’s still adorable and has outgrown most of the terror! He is my mama’s boy, already planning out how he’s going to take care of me when I’m old. Ari, Thing 2, was 15 months old when he came home. He is our sweetheart who just wants to love and be loved. He is also our muscle man, and conquered the monkey bars at two years of age. If you are wondering, Shy and Ari are biological siblings. Bryce, Thing 3, is four. He showed up to the party nine months after we brought our oldest two home. OOPS! He is the family cuddle bug, social butterfly, girl crazy, knight/superhero/tiger, resident expert on everything. Last but not least is Cooper, Thing 4, who just turned two this summer. The boy is always on the move, determined to keep up with his brothers. If he’s not scaling a wall, tackling the pup, or chasing the chickens, chances are he is reading a book or cuddling on someone’s ear. And then there’s me, Tracey Lynne: wife, mama, blogger, amateur photographer, beachaholic, party thrower, DIY enthusiast, reception coordinator/designer, and boogey monster chaser. I wear dresses as often as possible and love pink, bows, and ruffles. Cupcakes are my favorite. …

Living With Kids: Tracey WilleyRead More »

By Gabrielle. Question: Hi Gabrielle! I have a little girl who is 2 and twin boys who are 1. Last year they dressed up as Little Bo Peep and her sheep.  This year I am having a bit of trouble trying to coordinate their costumes. Any ideas? Thanks, Brandy Tucker Answer: Hi Brandy! I’m with you. I think coordinated costumes are so much fun! And we’re not alone, because I receive similar questions every year. : ) Little Bo Peep + sheep sounds like it was adorable! Maybe this year it would be fun if your daughter was Wendy, and the twins were Peter Pan and Captain Hook. Or how about Bella, Edward and Jacob? (Kidding!) Smurfette and any two other Smurfs? Fun fact: the mime photo above wasn’t actually from Halloween. Maude and Olive were just goofing around. Which is awesome. But, Ralph was a mime for Halloween once! What do you think, Dear Readers? Have any great suggestions for Brandy? And how do you feel about coordinated costumes? Do you commit to them every year? Or just when a brilliant idea comes to you? P.S. — Photos from some of our earliest Halloweens here. Plus, a glimpse of me with super short hair. As in, so short that Ben Blair would cut it at home with our electric clippers!

By Amy Christie. Fall has arrived — and a new season of cooking! I feel like every time I open a magazine or check a favorite website, people are planning autumn dinner parties. So I thought it would be fun to come up with a knock-your-socks-off hostess gift for those of you with dinner plans on the calendar. I love how they turned out! I think I might need to adapt them into Christmas ornaments. The changing leaves are one of my favorite parts about fall. I love the gradient colors and have collected a couple of trees worth over the years. But they don’t last! Sigh. They lose a bit of the color. They dry out. They crack and crumble and I’m left with a pile to clean up. Using a bit of plaster, some paint and inks, I figured out a way to make them a little more durable. And entirely perfect for a beautiful setting a fall table. …

Perfect Gift: Leaf Napkin RingsRead More »

By Gabrielle. A new Olive Us episode just went live! That always makes for a happy day at our house. Little June likes nothing better than to climb into our bed as soon as she wakes up, then snuggle in with Mom and Dad and watch Olive Us episodes on repeat. : ) In this new episode, you can follow along as the children go on a picnic in the mountains. We filmed it at Kotter Trail in Mendon, Utah when we were there in July. Being in the mountains really is one of my favorite things in the world! Have you ever spent time in the mountains? There’s nothing quite like it.

This is one of those home tours that’s inspiring not just for style or color choices or even the dining-room-turned-playroom complete with chalkboard walls! It’s a story about one family’s persistence and unwavering hope, about not giving up on a dream even when it looks like that dream might never come true, and even includes a five-month period of living with most of their belongings still packed up in boxes…just steps away in the garage. House hunting and house finding are two very separate and equally stressful endeavors, so I can’t imagine the added pain of living for so long in a state of limbo! Luckily for Araya and her family, everything worked out perfectly. Just look! Q: Tell us about the family who makes this house a home. A: We are a fun-loving family of four: myself, my best friend and husband Jordan whom I have known since we were children, our lovely daughter Avery who is five and loves puppies and worms equally, and our full-of-energy son Quinten who is two and is seldom found without a golf club or some other type of athletic equipment in his hands. On weekends we can be found exploring state parks, local museums, or dancing round the house. Q: How did this house become your own? A: The journey to owning this house was quite the testament in patience, persistence, and downright hope. We had sold our lovely but small bungalow, and the pressure was on to find the house in which we would raise our family. We spent most evenings and weekends searching for the perfect house, and we had put offers on multiple homes to no avail. Finally, we walked into this one and our excitement grew. We went down our wish list and they all checked off. Don’t get me wrong: it was ugly, outdated, dirty, vacant, and the yard was overgrown, but it didn’t scare us. It just meant more chances for us to make it our own. …

Living With Kids: Araya JensenRead More »

This post is brought to you by Time Razor. With Time Razor, get the scoop on tons of things to do near where you live, work & play. Download the FREE app here! Fall has come in so gently and beautifully over the past few weeks, and the fantastic weather has really made us want to get outside and soak it up. So for this month’s Love The Place You Live exploration, we decided to seek out a hike through the local forest. Our town is actually very near a National Forest, and we drive through it all the time — but we’ve never stopped to hike! We parked near a village called La Lande de Goult and started up a path through the woods to the top of a hill. (Maybe it’s a small mountain. Living near the Rockies makes you biased. : ) …

Love the Place You Live: A Hike in the WoodsRead More »

I’m fascinated by the story of the Truax family. The couple comes from my hometown, St. George, Utah, which is how I heard about them. They are currently the parents of four, and are in the process of adopting 3 orphaned siblings from the Ukraine, ages 5, 10, and 16! Apparently, orphans leave the orphanages in the Ukraine around age 16 and are left to their own devices. Without a support system, a huge number end up on the streets. 70% of the boys end up in a life of crime. 60% of the girls end up in prostitution. So the Truax family is anxious to bring these children to their new home as soon as possible. The idea of adopting older children is so heart-warming to me. Obviously, a 16 year old is not in that stage where they literally need to be fed and diapered just to survive. But she’s still a child, and in great need of direction and a homebase. Ben Blair and I both have a list of parents, siblings, and cousins that goes for miles. And if anything happened to us, I’m not at all worried our children would end up in government care. But the thought of them being raised separately absolutely breaks my heart! I think that’s why I like this story so much. How amazing that these 3 siblings are finding a new home where they can be together. Have you ever considered adoption of older children? Or maybe becoming a foster parent? Fun fact: My oldest brother, Jake (#3 above), was adopted into our family when he was 6, just after my parents had their first baby. I think he was was 11 when I was born (I’m #7 in the line-up). P.S. — Adopting a child is expensive. Adopting 3 is astronomical — as in $68,000. If you feel inclined, you can donate to the Truax adoption fund here. [ Update: I need to clarify that adoption can be FREE! In the US, when adopting from the foster system, most adoption is free and includes support services. ]

This lovely creature is Betty Blair, age 6. She is kind, and funny (and giggly) and she takes ballet classes. Side note: I think ballet is a French word, but Betty’s classes are called “Classique.” Would you like a tour of what she’ll be wearing to 1st Grade? Outfit #1 is a blue floral skirt from Benetton with a layering henley and cotton sweater from the grocery store. The brown flats are from the same grocery store but they were a mistake. They’ve only been worn a few times but they’re already scratched up and looking sad. We’re on the lookout for some better replacements. Betty is number 5 in our line up and I was number 5 in my family. I remember mostly trying to stay out of my older siblings way, and I see that in Betty sometimes too. …

What to Wear to 1st Grade – Euro EditionRead More »

Who has dinner clean up duties at your house? When I was growing up, each sister or brother was assigned a night of dish duties. Mine was Thursday nights and I remember frantically trying to finish up so I could watch The Cosby Show with my family. (Someone was always sure to help me so I didn’t get left out.) Since we moved here, our dinner time has been pushed back and we’ve found we’re all pretty worn out by the time we finish up with our meal. To get through that final leg of the day, and tidy up the kitchen, we turn on something loud (the older kids will pick a playlist from one of their iPods) and we’ll have a clean up dance party. It usually only takes a few songs and keeps everyone in a happy mood as we head in to our bedtime routines. And as an extra bonus, it keeps me and Ben Blair up on what our kids are listening to these days. When Tiger in a Jar was here last April, they filmed one of the cleanup parties. It was a one-shot deal! And we loved how they edited it together. We don’t count this as a full Olive Us episode, but we thought you might enjoy a little behind-the-scenes peek at our family life. P.S. — You may notice a 7th child. That’s my wonderful niece Roxcy who was staying with us at the time.